Amelanchier Autumn brilliance

ABSTRACT

This disclosure concerns a new and distinct variety of Grandiflora Amelanchier characterized by its exceptional vigorous growth habit with an abundance of pure white flowers in the spring, and thick, glossy leaves turning a brilliant red color in the fall of the year all substantially simultaneously.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This new variety of Grandiflora Amelanchier was found growing in mynursery at Urbana, Ill., in a cultivated area, in a row of seedlingliners. The new variety has a vigorous growth habit with thick, heavy,glossy leaves, an abundance of blooms and excellent fall color. I haveapproximately 300 asexually produced trees in my nursery, all of whichexhibit the superior growing qualities of the parent plant.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A new and distinct cultivar of Grandiflora Amelanchier characterized byits exceptional growth habit with abundant thick, heavy, glossy leaves,an abundance of white blooms in the spring, and a brilliant red leaf inthe fall, which leaves all turn substantially simultaneously, and withextreme ease of propagation even by tissue culture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The right hand photograph on the first sheet of drawings discloses thenew variety in the spring with an abundance of white flowers. Thispicture was taken in May of 1983.

The left hand photograph on the first sheet of drawings is a close-upview of the flowers of the above.

The right hand photograph on the second sheet of drawings discloses thenew variety in the fall. This picture was taken in November of 1983.

The left hand view on the second sheet of drawings discloses a close-upview of the red leaves of the above.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW PLANT VARIETY

The following is a detailed description of my new variety ofAmelanchier×grandiflora, the stated observations having been made by mein my nurseries in Urbana, Ill. The color designations are made from TheRoyal Horticultural Society charts except for ordinary dictionary colorobservations.

Origin: Seedling.

Classification: Amelanchier×grandiflora.

Parentage: A seedling of Amelanchier laeries×A. arborea.

Form: Small tree or large shrub.

Shape: Moderately spreading.

Habit: Multi-stemmed small tree or large shrub with rounded crown,heavily branched, the main stems being upright, and will reach from 15to 25 feet in height at maturity.

Growth rate: Relatively faster than other Amelanchier.

Bark: Light gray, smooth, with fine longitudinal fissures, the underbark being light reddish brown.

Branches: Numerous, twigs measuring 3.2 mm. in diameter 2 cm. from baseof terminal bud; one year twigs reddish brown, somewhat glaucous.

Leaves: Alternate, simple, deciduous; young leaves densely pubescentbeneath, slightly pubescent above, bright green, folded at floweringtime.

Mature.--Obovate or elliptical, the apices broadly acute, the marginsfinely denticulate nearly to base, the bases rounded or shortly-cordateglabrous above and below.

Size.--1 and 3/4 to 2 and 1/2 inches long and 1 and 1/2 inches wide;mature leaves 32 to 38 mm. in thickness with cutin layer averaging 2.1microns.

Color.--Medium green in summer, glossy, turning uniform brilliant red(R.H.S. 43B) in the Fall.

Petioles.--3/4 to 11/4 inches long, pubescent when young, glaborous atmaturity.

Winter buds: Solitary, sessile, elongate, sharp pointed, mostlyadpressed, reddish brown or greenish brown, 1/3 to 1/2 inches long; budscales ca. 6 imbricated; leaf scars narrowly crescent-shaped with 3bundle traces.

Fruit: Globose 1/4 to 1/3 inches in diameter, a berry-like pome, reddishturning dark purple or black at maturity, glaucouse, juicy, capped bypersistent calyx, containing 5 or fewer seeds.

Flowers: Pure white, profuse, borne in spreading or pendulous ca.12-flowered racemes that are 11/2 to 3 inches long; flower stalks are1/4 to 1/2 inches long; petals 5, narrowly ovate ca. 3/8 inches long and1/8 inches wide; calyx lobes 5, triangular, 1/16 to 3/16 inches longdensely pubescent inside; floral cup densely pubescent, about as long asthe calyx lobes; stamens 20; style one below, the upper one-thirddivided into 5 branches; each capped by a small, disk-shaped stigma;ovary inferior.

This variety clearly distinguishes from other Amelanchiers by its rapidgrowth, resistance to winter ice damage due to dense branching patternand large diameter branches, profuse abundance of white flowers in thespring and absence of the tendency toward summer leaf drop due to fungusdisease (Coccomyces tumidus) with the brilliant red fall color of theleaves almost all changing at the same time, the crown being theexception but later also turning to brilliant red versus other commonAmelanchier trees which turn a variable yellow, apricot-orange or dullred fall color, the color changes being gradual.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Amelanchier×grandiflorasubstantially as herein shown and described, characterized by denserbranching pattern so as not to be subject to winter ice damage, and nosummer leaf drop due to fungus disease, and the consistent bright redfall color with a majority of the leaves turning at substantially thesame time.